She was airlifted from Liverpool to a specialist unit at London's King's College Hospital.

Her family was warned last week she had just 72 hours to live. Today she is heavily sedated in intensive care - but could die at any moment.

John, from the Wirral, takes it in turns with Hannah's parents Susan, 58, and Alan, 60, to sit by her bed willing the phone to ring to tell them a liver has been found. John explained: "Words can't describe what we're going through. Hannah is unrecognisable lying there with all the wires and the monitors breathing for her. Her body has swelled beyond recognition.

"It really hits home how this can happen to anyone. If there were more people on the register she would have a higher chance of survival. She needs a new liver. Even if it's too late for her I don't want another family to go through this.

"And if this is what it takes to make people realise the difference they can make by joining the donor register then maybe something positive can come from this."

John Oliver, from NHS-run UK Transplant, said: "Transplants are life-saving treatments that rely on the generosity of all of us. The more people prepared to donate, the more chances we have of saving lives."